25 reviews
"They Settle Everything"
Edward G. Robinson plays a one handed fisherman making his living on the California coast. Even with a hook for a left hand he does pretty good in his line of work. But that steel hook isn't exactly quail bait.
One of his crew is lost to the sharks during a voyage and he brings the news home to his daughter Zita Johann. She's back home after having run away from the fishing life and has had a pretty rough go of it.
Though she doesn't love him, Johann marries Robinson and then another Robinson's crew, Richard Arlen comes in to complicate things.
Other reviewers have mentioned the gazillion times Warner Brothers recycled the plot of Tiger Shark in other locales. But actually Robinson had done a version of They Knew What They Wanted back in 1930 entitled A Lady to Love. That's the real origin of this plot.
The fishing boat scenes are realistically handled and the principal players do a good job. But this story has been told better and told better by Mr. Robinson himself.
One of his crew is lost to the sharks during a voyage and he brings the news home to his daughter Zita Johann. She's back home after having run away from the fishing life and has had a pretty rough go of it.
Though she doesn't love him, Johann marries Robinson and then another Robinson's crew, Richard Arlen comes in to complicate things.
Other reviewers have mentioned the gazillion times Warner Brothers recycled the plot of Tiger Shark in other locales. But actually Robinson had done a version of They Knew What They Wanted back in 1930 entitled A Lady to Love. That's the real origin of this plot.
The fishing boat scenes are realistically handled and the principal players do a good job. But this story has been told better and told better by Mr. Robinson himself.
- bkoganbing
- May 29, 2006
- Permalink
Post script
Sorry, I forgot to add a point to my comment that was rather an important one, at least to me. Tiger Shark was shot in the early 1930s and there are some interesting scenes of men sailing their boat into a school of tuna, guided by a lookout, then lining up in the leads and pulling the fish in using flexible poles, one at a time. The scenes are authentic and exciting. Alas, they are history. Tuna fisherman now use "long lines." (Koreans and Japanese have huge industries built around this technique.) The fishing boat now needs a smaller crew (less expensive) because there no longer any mano a mano contests between fish and man. The crew simply strings out long fishing lines, guided by sonar, more than a mile long, with baited hooks fixed to the lines at short, regular intervals, set for a given depth. This has proved far more lucrative than fishing exclusively for tuna with poles. The long lines have a tendency to clean everything that swims out of the sea; not just tuna but sharks, sea turtles, porpoises, and game fish like marlin (which can't be legally sold). By the time they are harvested, many of the animals are already dead, especially the air-breathing turtles and porpoises. The industry has become much more efficient and without passion. Mike probably wouldn't have approved but the organization that would now own his boat would have.
- rmax304823
- May 23, 2002
- Permalink
No Thinking Allowed
- rmax304823
- May 23, 2002
- Permalink
The root of all the remakes
All the old-time Hollywood studios recycled their scripts, turning previously-filmed properties into remakes and then re-remakes. More so than any other studio, Warner Brothers were notorious for re-re-re-remaking their previous films with only very slight changes in setting and dialogue. "Tiger Shark" is an historically significant film, as this movie provided the original template for a plot line which Warners recycled about two dozen times ... each time with just enough changes to fool the audience into thinking they were seeing an original plot. Except for stories which are in the public domain (such as Cinderella), "Tiger Shark" holds the all-time record for being re-made MORE OFTEN than any other movie ... each remake being "disguised" as a new movie.
The basic plot is this: an older man with a physical handicap falls in love with an attractive young woman who owes him a favour. She marries him, more out of a sense of obligation than for love. Then she becomes attracted to a handsome young man who works alongside her handicapped husband. The young man returns her attraction, and they start having an affair. The husband discovers his wife's infidelity, and then (in the climax of the film) he and the younger man duke it out. That's the plot of "Tiger Shark", starring Edward G. Robinson, and it's also the plot of two dozen other Warners films which are uncredited remakes of "Tiger Shark".
Compare this film to "Manpower" (1941), also starring Robinson. In "Tiger Shark" he plays a one-handed fisherman, with a hook at the end of his left arm. In "Manpower" he plays an electrical lineman with a limp. In both films, his love interest is a younger woman with a European accent: Zita Johann here, Marlene Dietrich in "Manpower". Robinson's younger rival in "Tiger Shark" (played by Richard Arlen) is basically the same character as Robinson's rival in "Manpower" (George Raft). The climax of "Tiger Shark" is a fight on the seashore; the climax of "Manpower" is a fistfight at the top of a telephone pole during a lightning storm. Once you allow for the change of setting, they're both the same film. I could make the same connections between "Tiger Shark" and about two dozen other Warners films, not all of them starring Robinson.
"Tiger Shark" benefits from some excellent direction by Howard Hawks. Richard Arlen is unfairly forgotten nowadays, but he was the closest thing Hollywood had to Harrison Ford before Harrison Ford came along. (I'm referring of course to the modern Harrison Ford, not the silent-film actor of the same name.) Arlen gives a good performance here. Zita Johann is excellent here, hampered only by her thick accent. She retired early from films to marry the producer John Houseman, long before Houseman became an Oscar-winning actor. Johann's most famous role is the female lead in "The Mummy" opposite Boris Karloff. When Johann published her autobiography in the 1980s, the publishers' promo material played up the fact that Johann had co-starred with Karloff, but they managed to avoid mentioning *which* Karloff film she'd been in: apparently they were afraid we would think that Zita Johann was a "scream queen" actress who only starred in horror films.
I'll rate "Tiger Shark" 7 out of 10 on its own merits, or 9 points if you're an aspiring screenwriter who wants to study this film so you can learn how a single plot line can be reworked repeatedly.
The basic plot is this: an older man with a physical handicap falls in love with an attractive young woman who owes him a favour. She marries him, more out of a sense of obligation than for love. Then she becomes attracted to a handsome young man who works alongside her handicapped husband. The young man returns her attraction, and they start having an affair. The husband discovers his wife's infidelity, and then (in the climax of the film) he and the younger man duke it out. That's the plot of "Tiger Shark", starring Edward G. Robinson, and it's also the plot of two dozen other Warners films which are uncredited remakes of "Tiger Shark".
Compare this film to "Manpower" (1941), also starring Robinson. In "Tiger Shark" he plays a one-handed fisherman, with a hook at the end of his left arm. In "Manpower" he plays an electrical lineman with a limp. In both films, his love interest is a younger woman with a European accent: Zita Johann here, Marlene Dietrich in "Manpower". Robinson's younger rival in "Tiger Shark" (played by Richard Arlen) is basically the same character as Robinson's rival in "Manpower" (George Raft). The climax of "Tiger Shark" is a fight on the seashore; the climax of "Manpower" is a fistfight at the top of a telephone pole during a lightning storm. Once you allow for the change of setting, they're both the same film. I could make the same connections between "Tiger Shark" and about two dozen other Warners films, not all of them starring Robinson.
"Tiger Shark" benefits from some excellent direction by Howard Hawks. Richard Arlen is unfairly forgotten nowadays, but he was the closest thing Hollywood had to Harrison Ford before Harrison Ford came along. (I'm referring of course to the modern Harrison Ford, not the silent-film actor of the same name.) Arlen gives a good performance here. Zita Johann is excellent here, hampered only by her thick accent. She retired early from films to marry the producer John Houseman, long before Houseman became an Oscar-winning actor. Johann's most famous role is the female lead in "The Mummy" opposite Boris Karloff. When Johann published her autobiography in the 1980s, the publishers' promo material played up the fact that Johann had co-starred with Karloff, but they managed to avoid mentioning *which* Karloff film she'd been in: apparently they were afraid we would think that Zita Johann was a "scream queen" actress who only starred in horror films.
I'll rate "Tiger Shark" 7 out of 10 on its own merits, or 9 points if you're an aspiring screenwriter who wants to study this film so you can learn how a single plot line can be reworked repeatedly.
- F Gwynplaine MacIntyre
- Apr 25, 2002
- Permalink
Tiger Shark (1932) ***
I had once taped this one off Italian TV (during a lengthy Howard Hawks season of films shown in English but with Italian subtitles) but my VCR developed a fault and the recording was subsequently unwatchable! I sure am glad to have caught up with it now
First of all, Edward G. Robinson is the whole show here: his portrayal of the central character, a Portuguese fisherman who sees himself as the best in the business and speaks in amiable broken English (his catchphrase is: "Absolutely indeed") is first-rate and it was also quite funny to watch him sporting an earring. The plot is predictable enough (a woman comes between two best friends and the situation is resolved through tragedy) but that may be because the same elements were recycled so many times, even by Warner Bros. themselves, over the years: SLIM (1937), THE WAGONS ROLL AT NIGHT (1941), Raoul Walsh's MANPOWER (1941; with Marlene Dietrich coming between Edward G. Robinson and George Raft), etc.
Even more importantly, however, the imprint of director Howard Hawks is all over it: the vivid recreation of a man's world, the bonds which grow stronger through the everyday adversity which that entails, the invasion of a woman into this enclosed world which sets about the inevitable tragedy, etc. In fact, the brotherly (or even father-son) relationship seen here between Robinson and his younger protégée, Richard Arlen, is reprised in many another Hawks film Pat O'Brien and James Cagney in CEILING ZERO (1935), Thomas Mitchell and Cary Grant in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939), Walter Brennan and Humphrey Bogart in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944), John Wayne and Dean Martin in RIO BRAVO (1959), etc; the unceremonious intrusion of the female character onto a perfectly ordered way of life is also seen enacted by Katharine Hepburn in BRINGING UP BABY (1938), Jean Arthur in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, Barbara Stanwyck in BALL OF FIRE (1941), Lauren Bacall in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, Joanne Dru in RED RIVER (1948), Margaret Sheridan in THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), Angie Dickinson in RIO BRAVO, Elsa Martinelli in HATARI! (1962) and Paula Prentiss in MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT? (1964); early on, the "boys" in TIGER SHARK are gathered around drinking and singing to their hearts' content a similar instance occurs also in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, RIO BRAVO and HATARI! Besides Robinson's performance and the fascinating early look at the Hawksian themes elaborated on more fully in his later films, TIGER SHARK is also notable for its exciting fishing sequences especially the rather grisly (for their time) shark attacks; the scene where Robinson loses his hand to one of the marauding beasts is particularly effective.
Actually, this viewing of TIGER SHARK has reminded me of several notable films which Robinson appeared in around the same time but with which I'm not all that familiar having watched them only once years ago, namely TWO SECONDS (1932), THE MAN WITH TWO FACES (1934), John Ford's THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALIKING (1935), Hawks' own BARBARY COAST (1935), THE LAST GANGSTER (1937), A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER (1938), THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE (1938), CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY (1939), THE SEA WOLF (1941) and MANPOWER!
Even more importantly, however, the imprint of director Howard Hawks is all over it: the vivid recreation of a man's world, the bonds which grow stronger through the everyday adversity which that entails, the invasion of a woman into this enclosed world which sets about the inevitable tragedy, etc. In fact, the brotherly (or even father-son) relationship seen here between Robinson and his younger protégée, Richard Arlen, is reprised in many another Hawks film Pat O'Brien and James Cagney in CEILING ZERO (1935), Thomas Mitchell and Cary Grant in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS (1939), Walter Brennan and Humphrey Bogart in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT (1944), John Wayne and Dean Martin in RIO BRAVO (1959), etc; the unceremonious intrusion of the female character onto a perfectly ordered way of life is also seen enacted by Katharine Hepburn in BRINGING UP BABY (1938), Jean Arthur in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, Barbara Stanwyck in BALL OF FIRE (1941), Lauren Bacall in TO HAVE AND HAVE NOT, Joanne Dru in RED RIVER (1948), Margaret Sheridan in THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD (1951), Angie Dickinson in RIO BRAVO, Elsa Martinelli in HATARI! (1962) and Paula Prentiss in MAN'S FAVORITE SPORT? (1964); early on, the "boys" in TIGER SHARK are gathered around drinking and singing to their hearts' content a similar instance occurs also in ONLY ANGELS HAVE WINGS, RIO BRAVO and HATARI! Besides Robinson's performance and the fascinating early look at the Hawksian themes elaborated on more fully in his later films, TIGER SHARK is also notable for its exciting fishing sequences especially the rather grisly (for their time) shark attacks; the scene where Robinson loses his hand to one of the marauding beasts is particularly effective.
Actually, this viewing of TIGER SHARK has reminded me of several notable films which Robinson appeared in around the same time but with which I'm not all that familiar having watched them only once years ago, namely TWO SECONDS (1932), THE MAN WITH TWO FACES (1934), John Ford's THE WHOLE TOWN'S TALIKING (1935), Hawks' own BARBARY COAST (1935), THE LAST GANGSTER (1937), A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER (1938), THE AMAZING DR. CLITTERHOUSE (1938), CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY (1939), THE SEA WOLF (1941) and MANPOWER!
- Bunuel1976
- Jul 8, 2005
- Permalink
An interesting cast in a boilerplate plot
The plot of this film is nothing to write home about. Other reviewers have aptly summed it up as the quintessential love triangle. There are two things that make this film rise above 4 or 5 stars out of ten.
The first is the great footage of commercial fishing as it was practiced circa 1930. It really was man versus the sea back in those days. There is also some footage of how the fish is delivered and then processed once the fishing boat docks.
The second thing that makes this an interesting film is the odd combination of Edward G. Robinson on the way up, Richard Arlen on the way down, and Zita Johann in one of her few film appearances before she shrugged her shoulders and walked away from film after she decided she didn't need all the irritation she had to deal with as a Hollywood star.
Edward G. Robinson was a newcomer to talking films, having only one credited film appearance in silents, that being in 1916. Not a classicly good-looking man, he was fascinating to watch in almost any role because of his talent for drama as well as comedy. Richard Arlen was a great leading man over at Paramount, and even retained his position at that studio for a few years after sound came in. He had the looks, he had the voice, but his popularity fizzled nonetheless. Zita Johann does not have, as others have mentioned, a thick accent. Her diction is perfect, and she has exotic looks that can only be compared to Kay Francis.
Thus these three are thrown together in this film in exactly the way you'd believe them to be. Robinson as the likable fisherman, Mike, with a big heart who can't get a girl to love him because he is missing a hand that was taken by a shark. Zita Johann is the daughter of a fisherman on Mike's boat who falls overboard and is killed by a shark. Mike nurses her back to health - she is ill at the time her father dies - and takes care of her in general so that she feels beholden to marry him, plus she thinks she is through with love and feels that Mike will do as well as any man. Finally there is Arlen as Pipes, handsome friend of Mike. He and Mike's new wife fall in love but do not want to hurt someone that they feel has been very good to them.
There are two big problems with this plot. In execution, the problem is that we don't see any relationship build between Mike's wife and Pipes. She just announces to Pipes one night that she loves him and that is that. I realize there is not much room for character development in a 75 minute film, but they could have let this build a little bit. In concept, the whole fact that someone as likable as Mike would not be able to attract a woman just because he is missing a hand is a bit much. Women have not now nor have they ever been attracted to men just because of looks. Character counts a good deal more. This is a case of a man writing about women as though they were men.
In summary, if you run across this one it is always worthwhile to see Edward G. Robinson in action, but don't lose any sleep if it never comes your way.
The first is the great footage of commercial fishing as it was practiced circa 1930. It really was man versus the sea back in those days. There is also some footage of how the fish is delivered and then processed once the fishing boat docks.
The second thing that makes this an interesting film is the odd combination of Edward G. Robinson on the way up, Richard Arlen on the way down, and Zita Johann in one of her few film appearances before she shrugged her shoulders and walked away from film after she decided she didn't need all the irritation she had to deal with as a Hollywood star.
Edward G. Robinson was a newcomer to talking films, having only one credited film appearance in silents, that being in 1916. Not a classicly good-looking man, he was fascinating to watch in almost any role because of his talent for drama as well as comedy. Richard Arlen was a great leading man over at Paramount, and even retained his position at that studio for a few years after sound came in. He had the looks, he had the voice, but his popularity fizzled nonetheless. Zita Johann does not have, as others have mentioned, a thick accent. Her diction is perfect, and she has exotic looks that can only be compared to Kay Francis.
Thus these three are thrown together in this film in exactly the way you'd believe them to be. Robinson as the likable fisherman, Mike, with a big heart who can't get a girl to love him because he is missing a hand that was taken by a shark. Zita Johann is the daughter of a fisherman on Mike's boat who falls overboard and is killed by a shark. Mike nurses her back to health - she is ill at the time her father dies - and takes care of her in general so that she feels beholden to marry him, plus she thinks she is through with love and feels that Mike will do as well as any man. Finally there is Arlen as Pipes, handsome friend of Mike. He and Mike's new wife fall in love but do not want to hurt someone that they feel has been very good to them.
There are two big problems with this plot. In execution, the problem is that we don't see any relationship build between Mike's wife and Pipes. She just announces to Pipes one night that she loves him and that is that. I realize there is not much room for character development in a 75 minute film, but they could have let this build a little bit. In concept, the whole fact that someone as likable as Mike would not be able to attract a woman just because he is missing a hand is a bit much. Women have not now nor have they ever been attracted to men just because of looks. Character counts a good deal more. This is a case of a man writing about women as though they were men.
In summary, if you run across this one it is always worthwhile to see Edward G. Robinson in action, but don't lose any sleep if it never comes your way.
Tuna Fishing
This is a fine little movie from the 1930s. Anchored by a rather outrageous performance from Edward G. Robinson, it's the story of two men in love with the same woman set to the backdrop of the tuna fishing industry out of San Diego. It's perhaps too short, but it effectively uses its time to tell its story well enough.
Mike Mascarenhas (Robinson) is the captain and owner of a fishing boat who lost his hand to a tiger shark when he was lost at sea, and he has incredible trouble with women. None seem to want anything to do with him despite his ownership of a successful fishing outfit that regularly brings in tens of thousands of dollars a year to himself and employs at least a dozen men. His thick Portuguese accent, constant bragging, and overbearing personality probably have something to do with it, but he's also a short, not terribly attractive man to boot, especially when compared to his first mate, Pipes played by Richard Arlen. Their first scene is Mike approaching Pipes and his new girl, talking about the girl that Mike had spoken to the night before who he hasn't heard from since. Pipes's girl reveals that Mike's girl had gotten away as fast as she could, despite whatever Mike was bragging about that morning. Pipes, being a good friend and first mate, ends up protecting Mike's reputation and feelings with another crewmate, Fishbone, tries to rag on Mike for being unsuccessful with the ladies.
On their trip out, a crewman, Manuel Silva, falls into the water and gets half eaten by a tiger shark, dying in the process. One of the most interesting things about this film is the clear-eyed view it has on the fishing industry. It's almost a documentary of the efforts men went to bring tuna back to American markets, and one of the most striking moments is when Mike demands that his crew catch that shark to cut it open and return Manuel's legs to him. Manuel is going to face St. Peter whole, Mike decides, and we watch them catch the shark and even beat it to death while it's on the hook. This film does not look away from this industry and the men who made it work.
Mike, being a good captain, takes Manuel's possessions to Manuel's daughter, Quita played by Zita Johann. Quita is a young, attractive woman with no means of support anymore, so Mike becomes instantly smitten and supports her financially to the point where he proposes to her. She's cautious though because, as she admits to him fully before she makes any response, she does not love him and is unsure if she ever will. That's important. He insists that she will grow to love him, and they get married in a big elaborate ceremony thrown at the last minute that ends with Mike getting too drunk, falling asleep, and Quita left to clean up after the party. There's never going to be love here.
Time goes on, Mike's business becomes less successful, and in the few days that Mike is in port, Pipes and Quita begin to get to know each other. This is not unpredictable stuff, but they begin to fall in love. Pipes is loyal to Mike and doesn't want to hurt him, though, so instead of following through on his passions, he decides that he needs to simply leave Mike's company and join a cargo ship instead of Mike's fishing vessel. However, an injury while pulling fish from the sea, a hook grabbing him by the neck, puts him out of commission, sending Mike back to port to help Pipes recuperate at Quita's hand. This is where the romance between the two becomes undeniable to both Quita and Pipes, with Mike still completely blind to the reality of it.
Quita decides to go out on the next fishing expedition, and Mike is happy to have her along while Pipes keeps his concern quiet. On the trip, obviously, Pipes and Quita cannot keep themselves from each other, finally succumbing to a physical manifestation of their affection (a kiss) only to have Mike witness it. In his rage, Mike locks in the rest of the crew, knocks Pipes out, throws him into a boat, and forces a leak with tiger sharks all around. Mike let his better side out, and he saves Pipes from the trap that he set himself, only to get attacked by the shark instead.
One smaller problem I have with this movie is the length of Mike's death scene. It's one of those Hollywood deaths where the character speaks plainly but somewhat breathlessly for as long as it takes to get all of his thoughts out. It ends up feeling artificial no matter what he says, and what he says in this particular instance ends up feeling a bit too generous. It's not really the wrong note if he thinks he's going to die and his best friend and wife are truly in love, but there's no anger from a character prone to outbursts, just simple acquiescence. It feels a bit off.
I should take a moment to highlight Zita Johann, though. Mike is the actual center of this movie, but I think one of the reasons that this movie works as well as it does is Zita. She's a strong woman who knows what she wants, and it's not Mike. She also knows that she's trapped into abject poverty if she doesn't take up his offer. She appreciates Mike for everything he does for her, but it hurts her that she simply does not love him. Zita's performance is the real anchor for the whole film, giving pathos to the film's final moments where Mike's death misses a bit.
Still, as a simple tale of a love triangle involving two professional friends, it's solid. As a look at an unusual and tough industry, it's fascinating. It's a little movie in Howard Hawks' career that's been pretty much forgotten entirely, but it's worth checking out.
Mike Mascarenhas (Robinson) is the captain and owner of a fishing boat who lost his hand to a tiger shark when he was lost at sea, and he has incredible trouble with women. None seem to want anything to do with him despite his ownership of a successful fishing outfit that regularly brings in tens of thousands of dollars a year to himself and employs at least a dozen men. His thick Portuguese accent, constant bragging, and overbearing personality probably have something to do with it, but he's also a short, not terribly attractive man to boot, especially when compared to his first mate, Pipes played by Richard Arlen. Their first scene is Mike approaching Pipes and his new girl, talking about the girl that Mike had spoken to the night before who he hasn't heard from since. Pipes's girl reveals that Mike's girl had gotten away as fast as she could, despite whatever Mike was bragging about that morning. Pipes, being a good friend and first mate, ends up protecting Mike's reputation and feelings with another crewmate, Fishbone, tries to rag on Mike for being unsuccessful with the ladies.
On their trip out, a crewman, Manuel Silva, falls into the water and gets half eaten by a tiger shark, dying in the process. One of the most interesting things about this film is the clear-eyed view it has on the fishing industry. It's almost a documentary of the efforts men went to bring tuna back to American markets, and one of the most striking moments is when Mike demands that his crew catch that shark to cut it open and return Manuel's legs to him. Manuel is going to face St. Peter whole, Mike decides, and we watch them catch the shark and even beat it to death while it's on the hook. This film does not look away from this industry and the men who made it work.
Mike, being a good captain, takes Manuel's possessions to Manuel's daughter, Quita played by Zita Johann. Quita is a young, attractive woman with no means of support anymore, so Mike becomes instantly smitten and supports her financially to the point where he proposes to her. She's cautious though because, as she admits to him fully before she makes any response, she does not love him and is unsure if she ever will. That's important. He insists that she will grow to love him, and they get married in a big elaborate ceremony thrown at the last minute that ends with Mike getting too drunk, falling asleep, and Quita left to clean up after the party. There's never going to be love here.
Time goes on, Mike's business becomes less successful, and in the few days that Mike is in port, Pipes and Quita begin to get to know each other. This is not unpredictable stuff, but they begin to fall in love. Pipes is loyal to Mike and doesn't want to hurt him, though, so instead of following through on his passions, he decides that he needs to simply leave Mike's company and join a cargo ship instead of Mike's fishing vessel. However, an injury while pulling fish from the sea, a hook grabbing him by the neck, puts him out of commission, sending Mike back to port to help Pipes recuperate at Quita's hand. This is where the romance between the two becomes undeniable to both Quita and Pipes, with Mike still completely blind to the reality of it.
Quita decides to go out on the next fishing expedition, and Mike is happy to have her along while Pipes keeps his concern quiet. On the trip, obviously, Pipes and Quita cannot keep themselves from each other, finally succumbing to a physical manifestation of their affection (a kiss) only to have Mike witness it. In his rage, Mike locks in the rest of the crew, knocks Pipes out, throws him into a boat, and forces a leak with tiger sharks all around. Mike let his better side out, and he saves Pipes from the trap that he set himself, only to get attacked by the shark instead.
One smaller problem I have with this movie is the length of Mike's death scene. It's one of those Hollywood deaths where the character speaks plainly but somewhat breathlessly for as long as it takes to get all of his thoughts out. It ends up feeling artificial no matter what he says, and what he says in this particular instance ends up feeling a bit too generous. It's not really the wrong note if he thinks he's going to die and his best friend and wife are truly in love, but there's no anger from a character prone to outbursts, just simple acquiescence. It feels a bit off.
I should take a moment to highlight Zita Johann, though. Mike is the actual center of this movie, but I think one of the reasons that this movie works as well as it does is Zita. She's a strong woman who knows what she wants, and it's not Mike. She also knows that she's trapped into abject poverty if she doesn't take up his offer. She appreciates Mike for everything he does for her, but it hurts her that she simply does not love him. Zita's performance is the real anchor for the whole film, giving pathos to the film's final moments where Mike's death misses a bit.
Still, as a simple tale of a love triangle involving two professional friends, it's solid. As a look at an unusual and tough industry, it's fascinating. It's a little movie in Howard Hawks' career that's been pretty much forgotten entirely, but it's worth checking out.
- davidmvining
- Jun 13, 2021
- Permalink
The original Jaws
- nickenchuggets
- Jul 16, 2022
- Permalink
Another dangerous vocation for Howard Hawks
Boisterous, rabelaisian Portugese immigrant Mike Mascarenhas is a larger than life tuna fisherman in the waters off San Diego who captains a successful tuna. boat schooner despite having lost a hand to an aggressive tiger shark years earlier. First mate Pipes Foley becomes his best friend after Mike rescues him from a voracious shark. When another crew member, Miguel Silva, is killed by the man-eaters, Mike takes a paternal, later romantic, interest in Miguel's pretty daughter, Quita, whom he marries. The ecstatic Mike doesn't realize that Pipes and Quita are themselves falling in love, which leads to inevitable tragic consequences.
Portugese fishermen have always been depictedy colorfully by Hollywood as subsequent actors would prove (Spencer Tracy in "Captains Courageous" and Anthony Quinn in "The World in His Arms" are other examples.} Hawks was strongly attracted to stories set in unusual locales which feature male protagonists engaged in a dangerous profession which forces them to live according to strict ethical codes of behavior."Ceiling Zero," "Only Angels have Wings," "The Thing,""The Big Sky,"and "Hatari" are other notable examples from the Hawks canon. "Tiger Shark" is set on a tuna clipper in the ocean off San Diego the fisherman risk death daily as they harvest the ocean's bounty and risk,their lives on every voyage.in the process.
The always excellent Edward G. Robinson gives a bravura performance as the ship's captain who has already lost one hand to a voracious shark. Even at this early point in his career Robinson was a consummate film actor, and it is a minor scandal the Academy Awards never once nominated him for a lead or supporting performance during a five decade career.
Co-star Rirchard Arlen was at the height of his undistinguished career and one is puzzled why Warners saw fit to borrow him from Paramount with many other superior actors under contract The bland actor's career soon took him into 'B' pictures. Arlen's performance is totally overshadowed by Robinson, who dominates every scene they share.
Exotic Zita Johann, fresh from her appearance as Karloff's leading lady, in "The Mummy," is markedly different from Hawks' slim and sassy usual leading ladies like Ann and Margaret Sheridan, Angie Dickinson, and Lauren Bacall.
Hawk's overcomes the obstacles and difficulties of shooting on-locaton during the early sound era and all in all, Hawks' and Robinson' professionalism take "Tiger Shark" far beyond other 1932 potboilers and well worth watching despite its age.
Portugese fishermen have always been depictedy colorfully by Hollywood as subsequent actors would prove (Spencer Tracy in "Captains Courageous" and Anthony Quinn in "The World in His Arms" are other examples.} Hawks was strongly attracted to stories set in unusual locales which feature male protagonists engaged in a dangerous profession which forces them to live according to strict ethical codes of behavior."Ceiling Zero," "Only Angels have Wings," "The Thing,""The Big Sky,"and "Hatari" are other notable examples from the Hawks canon. "Tiger Shark" is set on a tuna clipper in the ocean off San Diego the fisherman risk death daily as they harvest the ocean's bounty and risk,their lives on every voyage.in the process.
The always excellent Edward G. Robinson gives a bravura performance as the ship's captain who has already lost one hand to a voracious shark. Even at this early point in his career Robinson was a consummate film actor, and it is a minor scandal the Academy Awards never once nominated him for a lead or supporting performance during a five decade career.
Co-star Rirchard Arlen was at the height of his undistinguished career and one is puzzled why Warners saw fit to borrow him from Paramount with many other superior actors under contract The bland actor's career soon took him into 'B' pictures. Arlen's performance is totally overshadowed by Robinson, who dominates every scene they share.
Exotic Zita Johann, fresh from her appearance as Karloff's leading lady, in "The Mummy," is markedly different from Hawks' slim and sassy usual leading ladies like Ann and Margaret Sheridan, Angie Dickinson, and Lauren Bacall.
Hawk's overcomes the obstacles and difficulties of shooting on-locaton during the early sound era and all in all, Hawks' and Robinson' professionalism take "Tiger Shark" far beyond other 1932 potboilers and well worth watching despite its age.
- jbbooks1961
- Jun 29, 2019
- Permalink
"You good kid, Quita. And me -- I'm pretty good, too."
Portuguese fisherman (Edward G. Robinson) loses a hand to a shark and later loses his young wife (Zita Johann) to his best friend (Richard Arlen). He doesn't like it. A simple plot that was reused by Warner Bros. many times over the years. It's an okay early film from Howard Hawks. Worth watching for Robinson's colorful performance. Eddie G's sporting an earring and a hook for a hand, folks. It's not Shakespeare but it's hard to look away. Real maritime footage is a plus. Classic horror fans will recognize Zita Johann from The Mummy, which was released this same year. She's a lot more subtle in this than in that film.
Conscience driven melodrama with outstanding star performance.
- mark.waltz
- Nov 24, 2011
- Permalink
"They had faces" is what they used to say of the great film actors in the glory days of cinematography. Robinson proves this point.
If you want to gain an appreciation and understanding of why Edward G. Robinson was so admired and acclaimed as one of Hollywood's greatest, this film will give you a great insight. The story is a simple one. But it is a great showcase of the talents of Robinson.
"They had faces" is what they used to say of the great film actors in the glory days of cinematography. Robinson proves this point. His character has many emotional ups and downs and watching Robinson portray every moment and every nuance is a delight to watch. Any serious student of film and acting should see him in "Tiger Shark".
Richard Arlen and Zita Johann round out a good trio and make the film entertaining to watch.
A great Classy Classic.
"They had faces" is what they used to say of the great film actors in the glory days of cinematography. Robinson proves this point. His character has many emotional ups and downs and watching Robinson portray every moment and every nuance is a delight to watch. Any serious student of film and acting should see him in "Tiger Shark".
Richard Arlen and Zita Johann round out a good trio and make the film entertaining to watch.
A great Classy Classic.
- ronrobinson3
- Aug 8, 2024
- Permalink
They Knew What They Wanted, with tuna
How many times has this plot been used? The older guy--hearty, well-liked, a good man--wins the pretty young thing, but she's attracted to his best friend. It's like "They Knew What They Wanted," with Edward G. Robinson changing Charles Laughton's Italian accent to Portuguese and becoming an ace fisherman instead of a vintner. He's wonderful, in a showy yet subtle performance, and the beautiful Zita Johann is a prize worth fighting for. The writing isn't wonderful, though--we never understand why this lying blowhard is so popular, and the third side of the triangle, Richard Arlen, is given no personality at all. Howard Hawks must have liked the maritime setting, or just being on a boat, because there are yards of irrelevant footage of tuna fishing, leading to a climax that's not very clearly edited (just how does Arlen get out of this, and why does Eddie G. do such a turnaround?). But it leads to a moving big finale. It's atmospheric, with lots of outdoors shooting that makes it seem less studio-bound, and Robinson is always worth watching.
Too much fishing
Edward G. Robinson is Mike, a Portugese immigrant who makes his living as a fisherman in "Tiger Shark," a 1932 movie also starring Richard Arlen and Zita Johann. Mike loses his hand while trying to save Quita's (Johann's) father from a shark, but he does manage to save his buddy Pipes. He falls in love with Quita when they meet, and, seeing that she is alone, he eventually proposes. She accepts but says that she does not love him. He apparently doesn't notice that one of his mates, Pipes,(Richard Arlen) has a crush on Quita, so Pipes is around a lot.
This is a very dated and movie with stiff performances from everyone but Robinson. The character of Mike is very stereotypical now, but probably wasn't back then - the paunchy immigrant, kind of dumb, with false bravado, and don't forget about the hook for a hand. Very similar to "They Knew What They Wanted." There are endless scenes of fishing, which these men did with poles and harpoons, not nets. It looked dangerous, and I guess if Quita's father died and Mike lost his hand, it was.
The pretty Roumanian actress Zita Johann, who was married to John Houseman, is effective as Mike's shy, young and grateful bride - but after she spots handsome Pipes, she realizes gratitude can only take one so far. Here she's dressed plainly with little makeup - but one can see that with the Dorothy Lamour treatment, she probably looked very exotic. Arlen, of "Wings" fame, is pretty hunky. He died in 1978 and worked practically until his last breath, giving him a career span of 57 years. His heyday, however, was in the silent era.
Edward G. Robinson is excellent as always, but the film just doesn't hold up today. Robinson proved early on that he could do just about anything, though in the '30s, he was most often cast as a thug. When you see Mike in action toward the end of the movie, you'll realize this role isn't that far from what he did as Little Caesar.
I can't really recommend this unless you're interested in fishing circa 1932.
This is a very dated and movie with stiff performances from everyone but Robinson. The character of Mike is very stereotypical now, but probably wasn't back then - the paunchy immigrant, kind of dumb, with false bravado, and don't forget about the hook for a hand. Very similar to "They Knew What They Wanted." There are endless scenes of fishing, which these men did with poles and harpoons, not nets. It looked dangerous, and I guess if Quita's father died and Mike lost his hand, it was.
The pretty Roumanian actress Zita Johann, who was married to John Houseman, is effective as Mike's shy, young and grateful bride - but after she spots handsome Pipes, she realizes gratitude can only take one so far. Here she's dressed plainly with little makeup - but one can see that with the Dorothy Lamour treatment, she probably looked very exotic. Arlen, of "Wings" fame, is pretty hunky. He died in 1978 and worked practically until his last breath, giving him a career span of 57 years. His heyday, however, was in the silent era.
Edward G. Robinson is excellent as always, but the film just doesn't hold up today. Robinson proved early on that he could do just about anything, though in the '30s, he was most often cast as a thug. When you see Mike in action toward the end of the movie, you'll realize this role isn't that far from what he did as Little Caesar.
I can't really recommend this unless you're interested in fishing circa 1932.
Great Robinson Performance
Exciting film about a love triangle on the Monterey coast with Edward G. Robinson and Richard Arlen best friends and tuna fishermen. Robinson falls for bad girl Zita Johann who of course falls for handsome Arlen. Familiar storyline but Robinson is excellent as the Portuguese fisherman who battles the sea and the sharks to make a living. Arlen was a so-so actor but very handsome, and Johann had a strange exotic look. She's best remembered for The Mummy with Boris Karloff. Vince Barnett is funny and J. Carroll Naish has one scene. Leila Bennett plays a barber for some reason with pretty Toshio Mori as her assistant. Inez Palange plays a neighbor. Good film all around. But the highpoint is the truly remarkable footage of tuna fishing in a stormy sea.
early Ed Robinson
Edward G had already made Hatchet Man and Little Caesar by the time this came around, so he was clearly on the upswing. Mike (Robinson) and Quita (Zita Johann) are a married couple. Years before, Mike was injured in a fishing accident, while saving "Pipes" (Richard Arlen). and then it gets even more complicated. Pipe starts falling for Quita. in this one, Robinson is much more low key... he's just a regular working mug. not yet the larger than life figure. the sound and picture quality are a little iffy in this one, but to be fair, it's pretty old! stuff happens, and we see where things stand. don't want to say too much, but it's a good film. early-ish in the Ed Robinson collection. not shown often, either. it's very similar to Captains Courageous, that Spencer Tracy would make in 1937. Directed by Howard Hawks, who made so many films with Cary Grant and Humphrey Bogart; Hawks and Robinson would also make Barbary Coast in 1935 a couple years later. story by Houston Branch.
Bizarre Fisherman's Melodrama
Had the bizarre fishing-village-set TIGER SHARK come out ten years later, it would've made a pretty intriguing Film Noir, following the trope of the pretty young girl marrying an older businessman while falling in love with the handsome younger fella who has no money, and is friends with the rich guy...
In this case that rich guy, before there was any money and when he had both hands... during the more adventuresome Hemingway-meets-Melville first act... saves the life of Richard Arlen as common fisherman Pipes Boley by losing one hand to the titular (yet thereafter unimportant) TIGER SHARK, later replaced with a hook...
Making Edward G. Robinson more a gentleman dandy than the pirate he'd seem... and his only real handicap is baby-faced ingenue Zita Johann, feeling no chemistry with Robinson's Mike Mascarenhas as a husband, leading to when and how he'll discover where her love is going...
Which does genuinely provide the short/stout firebrand the kind of dangerous potential for the audience to anticipate his inevitable explosion...
But too much time's spent on the searing romantic triangle when an actor like Robinson needed and deserved more of an edgy potboiler than this morality play programmer.
In this case that rich guy, before there was any money and when he had both hands... during the more adventuresome Hemingway-meets-Melville first act... saves the life of Richard Arlen as common fisherman Pipes Boley by losing one hand to the titular (yet thereafter unimportant) TIGER SHARK, later replaced with a hook...
Making Edward G. Robinson more a gentleman dandy than the pirate he'd seem... and his only real handicap is baby-faced ingenue Zita Johann, feeling no chemistry with Robinson's Mike Mascarenhas as a husband, leading to when and how he'll discover where her love is going...
Which does genuinely provide the short/stout firebrand the kind of dangerous potential for the audience to anticipate his inevitable explosion...
But too much time's spent on the searing romantic triangle when an actor like Robinson needed and deserved more of an edgy potboiler than this morality play programmer.
- TheFearmakers
- Mar 6, 2022
- Permalink
Shark Reality
- kapelusznik18
- May 30, 2017
- Permalink
Very dated and very predictable
This film is essentially the same movie that was remade MANY times in the 1930s and 40s. While the setting has changed, the essential plot elements were used again and again in such films as MANPOWER (1941) and DANGER LIGHTS (1930). For a really good discussion of this, try reading the review by F. Gwynplaine MacIntyre (Borroloola@earthlink.net). While he says that TIGER SHARK was the first of these types of films and I think it the earlier film DANGER LIGHTS (and perhaps some even earlier ones), his analysis of the genre is very insightful and so I don't want to just rehash what he wrote.
The movie seems in the 21st century to be a very predictable relic and nothing more. While it is mildly entertaining, the plot itself just seems silly and over-the-top in many ways--especially in how it portrays tiger sharks as the impossible to stop killing machines! As far as the acting goes, it's a one man show--with Edward G. Robinson dominating all the scenes as a Portuguese-born fisherman. At times this portrayal is pretty good but at other times the character just seemed histrionic and overplayed. Robinson fans certainly won't remember this as one of his better films.
My advice is if you are a huge fan of Warner Brothers or Edward G. Robinson films, certainly you should watch this movie. Otherwise, it's very skip-able and one that might provide a few unintended laughs.
The movie seems in the 21st century to be a very predictable relic and nothing more. While it is mildly entertaining, the plot itself just seems silly and over-the-top in many ways--especially in how it portrays tiger sharks as the impossible to stop killing machines! As far as the acting goes, it's a one man show--with Edward G. Robinson dominating all the scenes as a Portuguese-born fisherman. At times this portrayal is pretty good but at other times the character just seemed histrionic and overplayed. Robinson fans certainly won't remember this as one of his better films.
My advice is if you are a huge fan of Warner Brothers or Edward G. Robinson films, certainly you should watch this movie. Otherwise, it's very skip-able and one that might provide a few unintended laughs.
- planktonrules
- Feb 9, 2007
- Permalink
One to avoid, unless you're a fan of Zita Johann!
- JohnHowardReid
- Nov 20, 2017
- Permalink
Good Film
Tiger Shark (1932)
*** (out of 4)
A lonely fisherman (Edward G. Robinson) marries a girl out of pity only to see her fall in love with his best friend. Director Howard Hawks does a very good job at showing off a wide range of emotions from sentiment to laughs to some very intense shark attack scenes. Robinson clearly steals the show with his touching performance but the supporting roles are good too. Another highlight is seeing the old time assembly line of having the fish removed from the boat and cleaned all in the matter of minutes. Apparently Warner loved this story so much that they remade it three times within the next ten years including Robinson returning in Manpower.!!!
*** (out of 4)
A lonely fisherman (Edward G. Robinson) marries a girl out of pity only to see her fall in love with his best friend. Director Howard Hawks does a very good job at showing off a wide range of emotions from sentiment to laughs to some very intense shark attack scenes. Robinson clearly steals the show with his touching performance but the supporting roles are good too. Another highlight is seeing the old time assembly line of having the fish removed from the boat and cleaned all in the matter of minutes. Apparently Warner loved this story so much that they remade it three times within the next ten years including Robinson returning in Manpower.!!!
- Michael_Elliott
- Mar 12, 2008
- Permalink
Learn All About Tuna Fishing
Those of us who read the entire book "Moby Dick" will remember interminable scenes devoted to descriptions of whale hunting and harvesting. That's how "Tiger Shark" seems: lots of extended scenes of tuna fishing and processing the catch. It really does serve to set a mood, and of course it juxtaposes the everyday life of a fisherman with the out-of-the-ordinary plot. And anyone with an interest can see how tuna fishing was actually performed in the Thirties. Big deal.
For me, the movie started dragging from the git-go. I found Edward G. Robinson's unconvincing Portuguese patois boring from the first line, and his mother-lode of innocent jibber-jabber seemed grafted artificially onto the Robinson persona while never actually gelling. (John Wayne had a more successful outing with an accent when he played a Swede in an early film.) Then this Pipes-Quita romance comes along. Comes from out of nowhere. Suddenly she's in love. PUH-leese. A little poetic motivation might help things.
Add the sappy ending. Yep, a solid "3".
For me, the movie started dragging from the git-go. I found Edward G. Robinson's unconvincing Portuguese patois boring from the first line, and his mother-lode of innocent jibber-jabber seemed grafted artificially onto the Robinson persona while never actually gelling. (John Wayne had a more successful outing with an accent when he played a Swede in an early film.) Then this Pipes-Quita romance comes along. Comes from out of nowhere. Suddenly she's in love. PUH-leese. A little poetic motivation might help things.
Add the sappy ending. Yep, a solid "3".
- barnesgene
- Jun 20, 2007
- Permalink
Gratitude is not Love
- view_and_review
- Jun 26, 2024
- Permalink
Eddie G can't save us from mediocrity this time
I like Edward G. Robinson, a lot... what I don't like is poor, bland, and uninteresting plot, and more times than most Eddie G can save such a film, this isn't one of those times. Zita Johann is a limited quality actress who mostly got as far as she did for having "an exotic look" she wasn't exactly the best part of the Mummy movie either.
Richard Arlen is a decent enough actor, but he pales in comparison to Edward G Robinson, which is unfortunate, because Richard Arlen is supposed to steal the show, and the girl. Now, if you had Bogart or something playing Arlen's character, you could have had something. His character his as bland and uninteresting as the plot.
Edward G Robinson is a great actor, and a great character again, but the poor quality of this film, and the poor quality of this cast (except J. Carroll Naish who plays a very slimy bit part) is beneath his level of talent.
Edward G brings my score up to 5, when it should be lower, but I suggest you avoid unless you like fishing, or Edward G. Robinson
Richard Arlen is a decent enough actor, but he pales in comparison to Edward G Robinson, which is unfortunate, because Richard Arlen is supposed to steal the show, and the girl. Now, if you had Bogart or something playing Arlen's character, you could have had something. His character his as bland and uninteresting as the plot.
Edward G Robinson is a great actor, and a great character again, but the poor quality of this film, and the poor quality of this cast (except J. Carroll Naish who plays a very slimy bit part) is beneath his level of talent.
Edward G brings my score up to 5, when it should be lower, but I suggest you avoid unless you like fishing, or Edward G. Robinson
- sixshooter500
- Apr 26, 2020
- Permalink
Robinson in Captain Ahab mode
- jarrodmcdonald-1
- May 27, 2022
- Permalink